REGISTRATION

Welcome to Texas Friends & Family Enrollment Center

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What is required to register?

In order to receive calls from an inmate, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) requires that you register and meet the following requirements:

1. The name on your driver's license must match the name on your telephone service bill/listing

2. You must agree to the following conditions:

  • You are the registered owner of the phone that will accept calls from any inmate you register for
  • You will allow inmate calls to this phone
  • You are at least 18 years old
  • You will not forward calls, make 3-way calls or use a speakerphone on calls received from any inmate you register for
  • You understand that eligible inmates are not allowed to speak to any adult that is not listed on their Approved Calling List

3. If you don't possess a Texas Driver's License or State ID, you will be asked to upload a photo or photocopy of your out-of-state driver's license.

4. If you are registering a pre-paid cell phone and you do not receive a phone bill from your prepaid provider, you will need to send a screenshot from your online account that shows your name and billing address, telephone #, date and company logo. If you have a cellphone, you will be asked to upload a legible copy of your last cell phone bill that shows:

  • Cell Phone Number
  • Customer Name
  • Cell Phone Company Logo
  • Billing Address (Note: Usually on the first 2 pages)
  • Monthly Basic Phone Charge (Note: This is usually on the Account Summary Page)
  • Date of phone bill (has to be a current phone bill)
  • We are sorry but we are not able to accept LifeLine (Government Assistance) cellphones

Choose an option

REGISTER YOUR PHONE

OR

CHECK MY STATUS

The following rules apply to the system:

  • Phones are available from 5:00 AM – 12:00 AM midnight, unless conditions dictate a change
  • Calls are limited to 30 minutes
  • You will hear a warning message one minute before being disconnected
  • Inmates have unlimited minutes per month
  • All calls, except to the Attorney of Record, are subject to monitoring, recording and voice recognition to complete call
  • Calls may only be made to home landline telephone numbers or cell phones within the continental United States, Hawaii and Alaska.
  • No calls are allowed to 800 numbers, pay phones, international numbers, or virtual numbers like Magic Jack, Vonage, Ooma and Lingo

The Inmate Telephone System (OTS) allows eligible inmates to make paid telephone calls to friends and family members.

  • Texas Department of Criminal Justice has contracted with Preferred Communications of Texas to provide calling services to the inmates at the facilities of the TDCJ. Our recipients are friends, relatives, and attorneys who receive calls from the inmates.

  • Inmates with major disciplinary problems, gang affiliations, or on death row will not have access to the telephone system.

  • You do not have to be on the inmate's visitor list in order to register and receive phone calls from the inmate.

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